Two new technical regulations in Mexico
Mexico
Proposed draft of technical regulation for electrical, electronic, and household electrical appliances
On 26 September 2022, the Ministry of Economy published the draft of the technical regulation PROY-NOM-024-SE-2022, “Commercial information to be displayed on the packaging, instructions and warrantees of electronic and electrical products and household electrical appliances” in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación – DOF). The PROY-NOM-024-SE-2022 can be found here in Spanish. Interested parties have until 27 November 2022 to submit their comments on the proposed draft, either in the ePing platform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) here, or by email to the Mexican Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía - SE) at consultapublica@economia.gob.mx or dgn.industriabasica@economia.gob.mx.
The proposed technical regulation establishes requirements for the commercial information to be displayed on the packaging, the instructions, manual and warrantees of electrical, electronic, and household electrical appliances. It also applies to their accessories and consumables, intended for consumers, and marketed in Mexico. Electrical, electronic and household electrical appliances that are not destined for final consumers do not fall under the scope of this proposed technical regulation. This also counts for products that have been exported for reparations or imported to comply with warranty obligations.
Once it enters into force, the PROY-NOM-024-SE-2022 will abrogate the NOM-024-SCFI-2013 aufgehoben. Main changes include:
- the addition of a chapter on conformity assessment procedure,
- the modification and inclusion of additional definitions,
- the need to specify further information if the product requires batteries, annexed labelling, and packaging specifications,
- modifications to warranty requirements.
New technical regulation for safety devices of light-duty vehicles
The Mexican Ministry of Economy also published technical regulation NOM-194-SE-2021 “Safety devices for new light-duty vehicles: Requirements and specifications” in the DOF on 03 October 2022, available here (in Spanish). It will enter into force on 01 April 2023, then abrogating NOM-194-SCFI-2015. However, the transitory articles of the new NOM specify that some safety devices requirements will not enter into force until 2024 and others until 2025.
NOM-194-SE-2021 establishes the requirements and specifications to be met by safety devices incorporated into new light-duty vehicles. It is also applicable to new light-duty vehicles of a gross vehicle weight of between 400 kg and 3,857 kg marketed in Mexico.
Among the changes introduced by the NOM-194-SE-2021 are additional technical regulations, as well as local and international standards included as normative references. Thus, their compliance becomes mandatory to fulfil the requirements of the NOM. NOM-194-SE-2021 also recognises international regulations such as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) from the United States and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations. These can be used to comply with the specifications for safety devices and performance of vehicles established in the NOM. Another relevant change is the inclusion of safety devices for “special vehicles,” meaning electric, hybrid or propelled by hydrogen, LP, or natural gas. Commercial information requirements were also added.
The notification of the new NOM was published on the WTO’s ePing platform on 04 October 2022. Interested members can contribute their comments on the NOM here.